Azure Window collapse should be wake-up call, Church says

The tragic collapse of the Aazure Window should serve as a wake-up call on the Maltese public to safeguard what is left of the natural environment, the Church’s Environment Commission has said.

“The Window was always going to collapse, and it was always a question of when rather than if it was going to fall,” the Commission said. “This event should prompt us, citizens and politicians alike, to ask ourselves pertinent questions about whether we are sustainably managing the natural resources that we have left."

It added that environmental destruction has often been tolerated by the public and justified by different governments over the years, despite warnings by environmentalists.

“If we were able to see at one go exactly what we have lost due to unsustainable action over the years, then our sadness would be much, much greater than that expressed over the collapse of the Azure Window.

“The collapse of the Window reminds us that natural resources don’t only have intrinsic natural value but also economic value, particularly in the tourism sector. The Window is gone for good, but hopefully its collapse will prompt citizens and politicians to reflect and take action to save what natural resources we have left, before it is too late.”